Planfit Blog
Hypertrophy, fat loss, recovery — every gym question answered with peer-reviewed research.
- Myths Busted
Coffee before a workout does help — but only if you time it right, per a 24-study meta-analysis
3 studies · Gardiner 2023 meta-analysis
Pre-workout coffee can sharpen focus and cut perceived effort — but drink it too late and it steals 45 minutes of sleep, per a 2023 meta-analysis of 24 studies.
- Numbers Don't Lie
Workout duration doesn't predict muscle growth — sets do, per a 2020 meta-analysis of 111 studies
2 studies · Benito 2020 meta-analysis of 111 RCTs
Stop watching the clock. Muscle growth comes down to sets per workout, not minutes on the floor — according to a 2020 meta-analysis of 111 studies.
- What Actually Matters
Squat vs. leg press: the muscle gains are the same when volume matches, per a 2025 RCT of 70 women
4 studies · Kassiano et al. 2025 RCT
Squat vs. leg press: which builds more muscle? When sets and reps are matched, growth is virtually identical — according to a 2025 RCT of 70 trained women.
- Numbers Don't Lie
RPE vs RIR: the number that tells you exactly how hard to push — backed by 4 RCTs
4 RCTs · J Strength Cond Res priority journals
RPE and RIR are two ways to measure effort in real time. Here's what 4 RCTs say about which one works, when, and for whom.
- Myths Busted
Magnesium won't stop your muscle cramps — unless you're deficient, per a 2020 Cochrane review
4 studies · Cochrane 2020 meta-analysis
Magnesium supplements are the go-to for muscle cramps — but a 2020 Cochrane meta-analysis found no reliable benefit for most people. Here's what actually matters.
- What Actually Matters
Cardio before or after weights: why the order depends on your goal
3 studies · 2024 meta-analysis (23 RCTs, n=916)
Do cardio before or after lifting? The answer depends entirely on your goal. Here's what the interference effect and a 2024 meta-analysis of 23 RCTs actually say.
- What Actually Matters
The trap bar deadlift isn't a shortcut — it's the smarter pull, backed by posterior-chain research
4 studies · Sports Med Open review + 2 RCTs
Trap bar deadlift benefits go beyond 'easier on the back.' Here's what posterior-chain research and deadlift RCTs actually say about strength, safety, and power.
- What Actually Matters
The goblet squat isn't a beginner move — it fixes your squat form, then cuts blood-sugar spikes 22%
2 studies · RCT + meta-analysis
The goblet squat fixes forward lean, builds legs, and — per a 2024 RCT — squat breaks cut post-meal blood sugar 22%. Here's how to use it.
- Numbers Don't Lie
How Many Sets of Biceps Per Week? 10 Is Probably Your Ceiling
3 RCTs · Med Sci Sports Exerc + J Strength Cond Res
More biceps sets doesn't mean more growth. Two RCTs show 5–10 weekly sets match or beat 15–32 — here's the number that actually matters.
- Numbers Don't Lie
3–5 sets of deadlifts per session is enough — what a 2022 RCT on 2 vs 5 sets found
5 studies · Sports Med meta-analysis
Wondering how many sets of deadlifts to do? 3–5 working sets is the evidence-based sweet spot — according to a Sports Med meta-analysis and a 2022 RCT.
- Myths Busted
Exercise does suppress appetite — but a muscle molecule, not willpower, is why (2016 meta-analysis)
4 studies · meta-analysis + RCT + 2 reviews
Does exercise make you eat less? Yes — but the mechanism is a molecule called Lac-Phe, not willpower. Here's what the research actually says, per a 2016 meta-analysis and a 2021 RCT.
- What Actually Matters
Full-body vs. split training: muscle and strength gains are the same — per a 2024 meta-analysis
4 studies · 2024 meta-analysis (14 studies, 392 subjects)
Full-body or split? For muscle growth and strength, the answer is neither — they're equal, per a 2024 J Strength Cond Res meta-analysis of 14 studies.
- Numbers Don't Lie
3 days a week is enough — and a J Strength Cond Res RCT of 32 athletes proves it works
3 studies · RCT + review + 2026 RCT
Wondering how many days a week to work out? 3 sessions gets the job done — per an RCT in J Strength Cond Res and exercise guideline reviews.
- What Actually Matters
Time under tension does matter — just not the way you think
2 studies · Mang 2022 review + RCT
TUT isn't the main driver of muscle size — but it unlocks real aerobic and tendon adaptations. Here's what the research actually shows, per a 2022 review and RCT.
- Numbers Don't Lie
Rep range almost doesn't matter for muscle growth — what 4 RCTs actually say
4 studies · 3 RCTs · 2 priority journals
5 reps or 30 reps — it barely matters for hypertrophy. Here's what the evidence from 4 recent RCTs actually says about rep ranges and muscle growth.
- Myths Busted
Creatine is not bad for your heart — in fact, creatine cut mortality in a 2016 meta-analysis
4 studies · meta-analysis + 2 reviews
Think creatine damages your heart? The opposite is true. Here's what the cardiac research actually shows, per a meta-analysis of 41 controlled trials.
- What Actually Matters
Mechanical tension is the primary driver of muscle growth — and 5 peer-reviewed reviews in Sports Med explain exactly why
5 reviews · Sports Med, Eur J Appl Physiol
Mechanical tension isn't just one factor in muscle growth — it's the main one. Here's what the science actually says, across 5 reviews in top sports-science journals.
- What Actually Matters
Progressive Overload Is the Only Variable That Actually Guarantees Muscle Growth.
4 studies · ACSM 2026 overview of reviews
Adding weight isn't the only way to progressively overload — reps work just as well, according to a 2024 RCT and an ACSM overview of 137 systematic reviews.
- Numbers Don't Lie
10 sets per muscle group per week is probably enough — here's the number that actually matters.
4 studies · 2 meta-analyses · Sports Med 2024
Most lifters chase 20+ sets per muscle group. The research says you can grow on far less — and more isn't always better, according to a 2024 Sports Med meta-analysis.
- What Actually Matters
Mind-Muscle Connection Matters — But Only Below 60% of Your 1RM
4 RCTs · Schoenfeld 2018
Focusing on the target muscle really does boost hypertrophy and EMG activation — but the effect vanishes at heavy loads, according to 4 controlled studies.
- Numbers Don't Lie
Sets per workout is the only training variable that reliably predicts muscle growth.
4 studies · 1 meta-analysis (111 RCTs)
Wondering how many sets per workout you actually need? The answer is simpler than you think — according to a 2020 meta-analysis of 111 studies.
- Numbers Don't Lie
3 minutes beats 1 minute — and the data on rest periods is clearer than you think.
3 studies · Schoenfeld 2016 RCT + 2024 meta-analysis
Resting longer between sets builds more strength and likely more muscle. Here's exactly how long to rest, according to a 2024 Bayesian meta-analysis and two RCTs.
- Myths Busted
Soreness is not a measure of muscle growth.
3 studies · Zhang 2026 meta-analysis
Feeling wrecked after leg day doesn't mean you're building more muscle. Here's what the science actually says — including a 2026 meta-analysis of 49 studies.
- Myths Busted
The Anabolic Window Is a Myth.
3 studies · Schoenfeld 2018 review
You don't need to slam a protein shake the second you rack the bar. Here's what the research actually says about post-workout nutrition timing, according to two landmark reviews.
